End Game

by Alex Lukeman

  "If you're right, that would make it a lot simpler."

  "No point in making it complicated, unless it turns out that way."

  "It usually does."

  "Maybe this time we'll get lucky," Lamont said.

  "Since when did you turn into an optimist?" Ronnie said.

  "You gotta be an optimist if you fish."

  "We need serious gear for this," Nick said. "If they're in there, they aren't going to welcome us with open arms."

  "How are we getting into the country with what we need?" Ronnie asked.

  "I'll figure something out," Elizabeth said.

  Chapter 32

  Butler was done. The last two bombs were ready. It was time to collect his pay and get the hell out of Dodge. He was looking forward to a beach in the Caribbean, maybe St. Lucia, or Aruba. Or Thailand, Phuket, maybe. He'd heard a lot about the women there. The beach, drinks with umbrellas in them, and willing women. With a million bucks, women weren't going to be a problem.

  Akhmad, Beslan and Ruslan stood looking at the bombs. A new man was there, someone Butler hadn't seen before. Ruslan introduced him as his brother, Aslan. Aslan didn't smile and didn't offer to shake hands. He made Butler nervous.

  "What is the yield?" Aslan asked.

  "Close to the full potential of 400 kilotons," Butler said. "You don't want to be anywhere within a sixty mile radius when one of these goes off."

  "You are certain?"

  "Of course I'm certain. I'm good at what I do. Which brings up a question about where you intend to set them off. You don't have to tell me exactly. All I want to know is if the Caribbean is safe."

  Akhmad smiled. "For you, the Caribbean is safe. Or should I say, the Caribbean is safe from you."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Just a joke," Akhmad said.

  "Oh. Well, okay. Has the rest of the money been transferred to my account?"

  "There won't be any need for that."

  Beslan took out a pistol.

  "You're making a mistake," Butler said.

  "I don't think so. I have been waiting for this moment."

  "Did you think I was dumb enough not to… "

  Butler never finished the sentence. Beslan fired, the report loud in the concrete room. Blood bloomed on Butler's chest. He looked down at the spreading stain in disbelief.

  "You…"

  Beslan fired twice more. The bullets knocked Butler back into the workbench. He fell onto the floor. Blood poured from his mouth. He tried to speak. A long, bubbling breath escaped and he stopped moving. Beslan walked over to the body and kicked it to make sure Butler was dead.

  "You should have waited," Aslan said. "He had something he wanted to tell us."

  "We have the bombs," Beslan said. "That is all that matters."

  "Hide him," Aslan said. "Put him in one of the tunnels."

  Beslan and Akhmad each took a leg and dragged the body away, leaving a long smear of blood on the gray concrete floor.

  Ruslan said, "It's good you are here, brother."

  "Everything is ready to move the bombs?"

  "Almost. We have a problem with one of the trucks. Alaudin is working on it. He says it will be ready by tomorrow. Once we load the trucks, the other two can leave immediately."

  "You are sure the American did what he said he would do?"

  "Yes, I'm sure."

  He reached into his pocket and took out a slip of paper. It was marked with a list of phone numbers.

  Ruslan indicated each number with his finger.

  "These are the three cell phone numbers that will detonate the bombs. Each bomb is marked, so we won't confuse them. This copy is for you. I have one, and so do Beslan and Akhmad."

  Aslan took the piece of paper and put it in his pocket .

  "I will leave today with two of the bombs," he said. "Beslan, Apti, and Fariza will go with me. You and Akhmad wait until Alaudin has fixed the truck and go with the third. Once they are all in place, we will coordinate the attack. They must all go off at the same time. It will create great confusion. War will be inevitable. The West will be destroyed, along with the Russian pigs."

  Aslan put his hands on Ruslan's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

  "I will not see you again in this life, brother. We will meet again in paradise, where our families and friends wait for us."

  "In'shallah," Ruslan said. "As God wills."

  Chapter 33

  Nick and the others got into Budapest in the late afternoon. Elizabeth had talked to DCI Hood and arranged CIA support. They were met outside the airport by a taciturn young man who identified himself only as John. Nick doubted that was his real name. They followed him through the airport parking lot to a dark van. Nick turned to Selena and gestured at the man walking ahead of them. He kept his voice low.

  "Is it me, or are they hiring kids out of high school these days?"

  "He does look awfully young," Selena said.

  "Maybe I'm just getting old."

  "Did you just figure that out?"

  "Hey, you're not supposed to agree with me," Nick said.

  "I saw a nice rocking chair in a store window the other day. I was thinking of buying it for you when we get back."

  "Smart ass," Nick said.

  John drove them to the outskirts of the city. They stopped before the gate of a rusted chain-link fence surrounding a weed strewn lot and a gray warehouse. John got out and opened the gate. He got back in the car and drove up to a loading door, got out again, and opened the door.

  They drove into the deserted building. Inside was a faded green truck with a canvas cover over the bed. It looked as though it had seen better days. Bench seats lined the back.

  "It's an old army truck," John said. "Looks rough, but it's a good vehicle. Strong engine, good tires, it won't give you any problems. Plus there's a bonus. All the main highways have toll stations. This truck has an electronic pass, so you can drive right through. It's only good for ten days."

  "We won't be here that long," Nick said. "How about weapons?"

  "In the back. "

  John walked to the back of the truck, lowered the tailgate, and climbed in. Nick got in after him. John lifted up a section of flooring, revealing a compartment under the bed.

  "Take a look."

  Inside the compartment were five Skorpion machine pistols and as many Makarov pistols in holsters. There were night vision units, armored vests, and extra ammunition. Dark clothes and balaclavas completed the supplies.

  "First time I've seen something like this," John said. "Pretty cool. You guys must rate. Everything is Eastern European manufacture. Nothing American. I don't suppose you could tell me what you need it for?"

  "I don't suppose I could," Nick said.

  "Figures," John said. He handed Nick a fat envelope. "Here are your papers. Driver's licenses, permits, local currency, passports. Here's the key to the truck."

  "Thanks. Who are we supposed to be?"

  "You're skilled factory workers, headed for a job near the Romanian border. There's a GPS unit in the cab. You can program in where you're going. It's in Hungarian. You speak Hungarian?"

  "I don't. She does."

  Nick pointed at Selena.

  "That will help. If you're stopped, the papers for the truck are in the glove compartment. If she's the one who speaks the language, you'd better let her drive."

  John looked at the five of them.

  "I kind of wish I was going with you," he said.

  "You last long enough in the job, you'll change your mind about things like that," Nick said. "Thanks for your help."

  "Good luck."

  John walked over to his car, got in, and drove away.

  "I'd feel better if I had one of those pistols," Lamont said.

  "We all would. Everyone take one, just keep them out of sight."

  "No C4 or Semtex?" Ronnie asked .

  "Nope. Let's hope we don't have to blow anything up."

  They took time to unload the guns and check the
m out. The last thing you wanted in a fight was to have an unfamiliar weapon fail. When they were satisfied, they reloaded and put the Skorpions back in the compartment.

  "Selena, you're driving," Nick said. "Valentina, you get the luxury accommodations in the back with Ronnie and Lamont. I'll ride up front with Selena. If we get stopped, everybody keep quiet and let Selena do the talking."

  "I always did like traveling in first," Lamont said.

  Nick opened the package John had given him and shuffled through the contents until he found the documents for Ronnie, Lamont, and Valentina. He gave them their papers, waited until they climbed into the truck, and shut the tailgate. They took seats on the benches. Nick took his own papers and gave Selena hers.

  Selena got behind the wheel and studied the unfamiliar layout. She experimented with the lights and wipers. A tall gearshift stuck out of the floor.

  Selena tried the clutch. "Heavy, but I can handle it."

  "You know how to drive this?" Nick asked.

  "Yes. Uncle William showed me how to drive a big truck when I was fifteen."

  A brief shadow passed across her face. The murder of her uncle had brought her into Nick's life and into the Project.

  She turned on the GPS.

  "Where are we going?"

  "Tamási is the closest town. Plug that in."

  Selena entered the destination

  "This says it's about an hour and a half, via the M7 and Route 65. There are tolls."

  "We have a pass, but toll stations mean cameras. Is there another way?"

  She studied the display on the screen .

  "There are back roads that go in the general direction, but sooner or later they all intersect with a toll road. I don't see any way to avoid all the toll stations."

  Nick felt a headache coming on. Worse, he felt a faceless anxiety, a sense of urgency without clear focus. It wasn't like when his ear started to itch, when things were going wrong, but it made him feel like they had to get moving or something bad would happen.

  "Take the shortest route."

  "What about the cameras?"

  "If we can't avoid them entirely, to hell with it. Take the quickest way. It feels like we need to get there."

  Chapter 34

  Tamási was a town of nine or ten thousand people, set in the middle of rolling farmland. The old Soviet base was beyond it. There was no way to avoid the town. Selena drove through, careful to keep under the speed limit. The houses were narrow, two or three stories tall, the streets clean. They passed a large church and a park.

  "Looks like a pleasant enough place to live," Nick said.

  "If you like small town living," Selena said.

  "Does it snow a lot here?"

  "I don't know, why?"

  "All the houses have steep, peaked roofs. Makes me think they must get a lot of snow."

  No one paid any attention to them. There were plenty of trucks like theirs in Hungary. Soon they were through the town and out into the countryside. They passed a roadside café with a few tables and two large umbrellas on the left. Several cars were parked in a lot. People sat at the tables eating and drinking. There was a sign on the building.

  "What did that sign say?"

  "Café Relax," Selena said. "I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee about now."

  "Too bad we can't stop."

  After the café, the land opened out. Fields stretched away to either side.

  "The turnoff to the old missile site is off this road, about fifteen kilometers from town," Nick said. "Look for a stone barn and farmhouse on the right. The turnoff is on the left, about half a kilometer past that. It might be hard to see."

  Ten minutes later they passed the barn. Selena slowed. It wasn't hard to spot the turnoff after all. It was blocked by a closed metal gate set between two stone pillars on the edge of the flat field. There was a sign on the gate .

  Selena turned off the road and stopped. There was no one around.

  "What's it say?"

  "Entrance strictly forbidden. Danger. Keep out."

  Beneath the writing was a skull and cross bones. Beyond the gate, a crumbling road ran toward a grove of trees in the distance.

  Nick got out of the truck and walked to the gate. It was closed with a knotted chain, but there was no lock. He bent down and looked at the track, straightened, then undid the chain and opened the gate. He waved Selena through. Once she was past, he closed the gate. He left the chain loose and got back in the truck.

  "What were you looking at?" Selena asked.

  "Tire tracks."

  "Where's the base? I don't see it."

  Nick pointed ahead. "On the other side of those trees. Once we pass them, we can be seen. Drive up to them and park. See if you can get in under them."

  Selena drove slowly along the track until they came to the grove. She pulled off the road until they were out of sight among the trees and shut down the engine.

  Everyone got out.

  "How close are we?" Ronnie asked.

  "Maybe half a klick," Nick said. He looked at his watch. "It will be dark in about an hour. We'll wait until then. Break out the gear."

  Lamont got back in the truck and started passing everything out.

  "I wonder how many are in there?" Selena said.

  "There's no way to tell," Nick said. "Satellite coverage hasn't picked up anyone. We won't know until we get inside."

  "Stephanie and Freddie seemed pretty certain this was the best bet."

  "The gate wasn't locked, it just looked like it was. That and the tracks makes me think we're in the right place. "

  Nick looked at her.

  "Listen. I want you to stay with the truck."

  "Why?"

  "We don't know what we're going to find in there. I'm thinking about the kids. Putting both of us at risk doesn't seem like a good idea."

  "You should've thought of that before I came along," Selena said. "I'm not going to stay with the truck."

  "Selena…"

  "No. I'm not staying here, Nick."

  She walked away.

  "Damn it," Nick muttered under his breath.

  Valentina had overheard them talking.

  "You should be used to how my sister is by now, Nick. She is right. If you did not wish her to be at risk, you should not have asked her to come."

  "She's here because none of us speak Hungarian and she does."

  "I do not think so. I think she is here because this is job that requires warriors."

  "Warriors?"

  "We are warriors, no? My sister is warrior. It is very simple."

  "Nothing about Selena is simple, Val."

  "This is," Valentina said.

  Chapter 35

  Everyone had changed into the black clothes from the truck. In the darkness of the grove, they were almost invisible.

  "Time to boogie," Nick said. "Weapons free."

  It was full dark, the road to the site a vague streak against the earth. They moved along the edge of the grove as it followed the road, shadow shapes among the trees. In a short time they came to the end of the trees. Ahead was the fence marking the perimeter of the site and the dark shape of the ruined headquarters building. Nick signaled, and they paused at the edge of the open space between the trees and the fence. The moon rose, casting a dim glow over the deserted base.

  Nick kept his voice low.

  "The gate's open."

  "No sign of anyone," Selena said.

  "Maybe they're gone," Ronnie said.

  "They are there," Valentina said. "Listen."

  Nick strained his ears. Years of explosions and gunfire made it difficult for him to hear faint sounds.

  "I hear it," Selena said. "It's a generator. Faint. Maybe underground."

  "They are there," Valentina said again.

  Nick nodded. "Try to take someone alive. We need intel."

  "They are Chechen," Valentina said with a hint of contempt. "It is unlikely you will take them alive."

  Nick shrugged. "It's thei
r call."

  He led them through the gate. They followed the cracked pavement past the deserted barracks, keeping next to the wall, toward the building that housed the ramp leading to the lower levels .

  They came to the tall loading door. A smaller, access door next to it was closed. Nick stepped up to it and the others took up position behind him. He leaned forward and tried the knob. The door was unlocked. He let it swing open. The sound of the generator got louder. Somewhere below, a light was shining.

  The door opened onto the ramp Nick had seen on the plans. He signaled and they started down the ramp in single file, keeping close to the wall as they descended to the lower level. Suddenly they heard raised voices coming from below. Men arguing in a foreign language.

  Nick froze and held up his hand.

  Selena was right behind him. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

  "Two men, Chechen. Something about a truck."

  A third voice interrupted, authoritative. The argument stopped. Someone began talking.

  Nick held up his hand and gestured. They moved to the end of the ramp. Ahead was a large room. The men they had heard were somewhere off to the right. They couldn't see who was there without entering the room, but it didn't matter. They were enemies.

  Nick risked a glance around the corner. He saw three bearded men standing by a truck, talking. One of the men was gesturing, angry. The hood on the truck was open. Tools lay scattered about on the floor. All three men carried AK 74s. He ducked back again.

  Three men. Armed. To the right

  Nick signaled again.

  Three. Two. One.

  They came around the corner, weapons up and ready.

  The men turned and looked at them, startled. Nick shouted.

  "Drop your weapons! Now! Do it now!"

  Selena repeated it in Chechen, her voice loud and shrill .

  The three Chechens had survived countless encounters with Russians trying to kill them. They were battle hardened and conditioned. Their weapons came up. Two went in opposite directions, firing as they ran. The third dropped to one knee and brought up his rifle. The room echoed with the rapid staccato chatter of the Skorpion machine pistols and the harsh, distinctive sound of AK's. Nick and the others scattered and ducked as dozens of rounds ricocheted around the room.